A Guide to Sealing Jutsu
by Matthias the Wanderer
Summary: A list of notes on the subject of seals and their uses and limitations, as well as a number of usefull seals. If you've ever been bothered by the lax information that canon provides about fuinjutsu, take a look.
1. An Introduction

_**An Introduction**_

I have noticed, in the time that I have spent studying the art, that there are few individuals with a true understanding of the art of sealing jutsu. There is no doubt that anyone who has examined their history has a healthy respect for the abilities of those capable of mastering it, but any widespread understanding of its abilities and limitations is largely limited to those seals which are widely used.

Unfortunately, this seems to be limited, as a whole, to the explosive seal, and the basic containment seal. What's more, the possibilities of the basic containment seal are largely unexplored, an inexcusable lapse by all five great ninja villages.

In the hopes of remedying this, I have compiled my basic notes in a small compendium, of sorts. It is hardly a definitive work on the subject, but it should serve to instill a greater understanding of the subject in the larger ninja world.

To begin with, I shall condense the majority of my notes (the full sum of which is quite vast), into a description of the rules and boundaries of sealing. Please bear with me in this, and understand that what you find within cannot be taken as absolute. This is an extremely complex art, and I know of no one capable of grasping its intricacies in full.

I shall also include notes on a number of usefull seals of my own creation, some of which are extremely powerful. I encourage anyone who wishes to learn the art to take and use what they can. (Just make sure to spread this little booklet around. Sealing is a woefully underappreciated art, after all.)

To you the reader, I hope that you find this guide informative and comprehensible.

Sincerely  
Naruto Uzumaki  
Sixth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.


	2. Misconceptions

Authors Notes: Alright, just a quick note, for those who may be wondering, yes, that bit at the end was an invitation to use whatever you like from this as long as you give proper credit. Also, as a bit of background, the Naruto writing this book in-universe is a seal master who wandered to world with Jiraya for five years instead of three, and has been Hokage for about thirty years. Now, on to the actual chapter.  
_

Now, I think I'll begin with a description of some common misconceptions about sealing techniques. Some of these are understandable, some confusing, and some I simply don't understand at all. Never the less, I wish to clear the air of these before all else.

First, on the use of ink. I have heard many theories in my travels regarding this subject. I have heard, for example, that simple ink is the preferred medium, which I find makes little sense. I have heard that it is a special ink, which makes some sense. I have heard that the ingredients necessary to make sealing ink are so rare as to be non-existant, which makes almost no sense at all. I have even heard that human blood is the key ingredient, likely stemming from someone with a rudimentary knowledge of summoning techniques.

The most likely guess that I came across said that the medium is unimportant, so long as the pattern is correct, which I find to be a sensible deduction. In reality, the truth is far simpler (and cheaper): there is no ink. As anyone who has watched a seal master work can attest, the patterns of a sealing jutsu appear from nowhere, a creation of the users chakra. For those of you with low chakra reserves, there is no need to worry. Creating the seals themselves takes next to no chakra in and of itself.

However, this leads me into the next rumor, that sealing takes little to no chakra to perform. This, too, is incorrect. Just like ninjutsu, to affect a great change in the world, a great amount of energy must be expended. Similarly, however, a small amount of energy can be used to great effect, if you use it properly.

This parallel leads us to our next topic, which is less of a rumor, and more of a theory, and one I intend to put to rest right now. The common theory goes that individual seals can be used in the proper combinations to recreate ninjutsu. This stems from the idea that hand seals have corresponding "paper" seals, as they have been called. This is false. In truth, sealing jutsu can be seen almost as a mirror to ninjutsu. Not as an opposite, but as a companion, a parallel. Hand and paper seals are, similarly, parallel to each other, not part of each other.

Finally, I have heard it said that seals are all powerful, once they have been truly mastered. This is true, in a manner of speaking, I suppose. However, it is only true to the same extent that it is true of ninjutsu. The potential may be there, but no one has ever reached it, and I doubt anyone ever will. In truth, I don't think that we as human beings are meant to.


	3. Inspiration

There are some things that are important to anyone learning about seals, not the least of which is a creative and active mind. There are several common seal types, but the key to success is what you are capable of using the for. There are several techniques that are based off of simple seals, but with effects so varied that seeing the connection between them can be almost impossible.

Take, for example, two of my own techniques: Earth Style: Sinkhole, and Lightning Style: Current. The Sinkhole technique creates a pit under my target, and the Current technique channels lightning around whatever it's placed on. On the surface, there is no connection between one and the other. However, they are both based on the same basic seal: the basic containment seal.

Earth Style: Sinkhole projects a containment seal under the ground and sucks in large amounts of dirt and stone under my targets feet, and Lightning Style: Current stores large amounts of lightning chakra, and releases it either at a steady rate or all at once.

Thus we come to second lesson here: never pass off a seal as useless. The containment seal is one of the most basic designs you will ever see in your study of the art of sealing, and you have just learned of two high C ranked techniques based heavily on its design. I also have several more seals, many significantly more powerful, that are either entirely or partially based on that same seal. Indeed, it's hardly a secret to any serious student that the containment seal features heavily in the design of the Flying Thunder God seals that my father created.

Above all, when studying and creating seals. A simple design can often be turned into a powerful, complex technique if you can figure out how to properly amplify the scope, and turn it to your needs. Inspiration is key, and you must be able to find it wherever possible.


	4. Most Common Sealing Types

I will now give an overview of the most common seal types. These are the basis for the large majority of seal techniques in the world, and you will find them extremely useful. I will also be including some advice on possible variations you could use.

The first seal type I will be covering is the containment type seal. This is probably the most widely known and understood type, as it is also the most widely used. Of course the uses of sealing something in a small scroll without increasing it's size and weight are numerous, but sadly it's familiarity causes many a student of sealing to dismiss it's usefullness as anything else. Even the possibilities of the seal as it is known are often overlooked.

For example, it is entirely possible to seal numerous explosive tags inside a scroll, channel chakra into it, and throw it over the heads of the enemy. The reason no one ever does? They simply don't think to try. The seal is looked at as a glorified pack, something to carry supplies in and nothing more. Also, what you choose to contain in the seal, once you make your own variations, is much more flexible than you might think. For example, air, lightning, sound waves, _light_. Combined with finer controls over how much, how fast, when to release, where to release, how much to release, and so on, this sealing type is surprisingly flexible.

Next I will address the explosive seal. In truth, this seal does largely do what it says, and little more. Once again, the biggest problem is that the possibilities of it's variations are highly underestimated. For one simple example, anyone who knows how to create the seal doesn't need to use an explosive tag so long as they have an appropriate amount of chakra. What's more, the amount of fine control afforded to the the user is much greater when creating their own seal.

This seal goes very well with the containment seal, since it is a simple variation that will allow your modified explosive seal to act as the release mechanism for the other. What's more, a simple explosion of fire and force isn't the only application. Other elements can be used as well, such as lightning. It is also possible to create a feedback loop by creating a combined explosive and containment seal that reabsorbs whatever it is expelling at a constant rate. I myself have not thought of a useful seal utilizing this technique, but the phenomenon itself is intriguing enough to warrant a mention here.

The third, and possibly most versatile of all, is the barrier seal. It has also been called the gateway, locking, and "true" seal. These numerous names alone should give you some idea of the numerous uses of this particular type of seal. Anything from massive barriers to protect or entrap an area, to sealing away the chakra of whatever it is placed on, to inducing a coma-like state in its target, this type of seal is truly the seal masters playground. If you find inspiration hard to come by, try thinking up new uses of the barrier seal.

Among the uses outlined above, the barrier seal can also be used to filter, instead of outright stop whatever passes through it. This, too, offers up a wide range of possibilities to the creative student. Combining this seal with a containment seal can offer up truly astounding results, if you figure out the correct combination. Combining it with an explosive seal is possibly one of the most difficult challenges you can undertake. However, properly done, the results are truly stunning, and, due to it's difficulty, are amongst the most unique in the world of sealing.

You will notice that I have given no concrete examples of variations that you, the reader, could make on this type of seal, and chose to stay, instead, with existing, fairly well known seals. This is because, due to the extreme flexibility of this particular family of seals, I do not wish to predispose you to a particular use of this type without first letting you experiment for yourself. If you were to become locked into a particular use of this most variable of seals, it would be a grave failing on my own part.

This will conclude my notes on seals in general. What follows is a compilation of several seals of my own creation, as well as a few that I have learned from fellow students of the art, and friends of mine. This section will include the names and rankings of the techniques enclosed, as well as a brief description of the effects, mechanics, and possible/intended uses.


	5. Techniques and Advice

To all readers who have made it thus far: Thank you, and congratulations. This section of my notes has been sent separately to each village, and is not available for general consumption. If you are reading this, then you have been judged by your village leaders to have both the appropriate skill and rank to learn the techniques within. Contained is a small portion of my own personal techniques, as well as one or two contributions from some of my colleagues. This scroll is sectioned by rank, and will be shown to you piece by piece as you progress.

* * *

E Rank: These techniques are very simple, and it is very likely that you already know one or two. These techniques are simple enough to be taught to academy students, and, at least in my own village, are taught as academy standard. As with all E Rank ninja arts, you would be well advised not to disregard them, but their primary value is in simplicity. After increasing in skill, most people will find techniques that do the same job with much better results, i.e., discarding the simple clone jutsu for more advanced elemental clones. This section, as well as the next, are typically open to anyone who has been accepted into the ranks of their village.

* * *

E Rank: Sealing Art: False Sight: A seal which creates an illusion around whichever person or object upon which it is placed. Ex, a handful of pebbles can become a swarm of shuriken.

* * *

D Rank: Techniques suitable for Genin, these are simple, but effective. Many of them, despite the ease with which they can be preformed, may become some of your favorite techniques, placeholders in your arsenal. Their low difficulty and good utility make them excellent for introducing new students to the abilities of seals.

* * *

D Rank: Sealing Art: Thunder Crash Seal: A simple seal, despite the imposing name, designed primarily to be placed on kunai. A few seconds after creation, the seal will emit both a bright light and a loud smashing sound, disorienting the opponent. As a side effect, most Doujutsu users will be blinded, due to the chakra-based nature of the flash. Depending on the amount of chakra the seal is infused with, it can be made to wait longer before detonating, but it will only detonate when it runs out of chakra. Unfortunately, this defect means that this seal cannot be mass produced, as it must be applied on site.

D Rank: Sealing Art: Surface: A simple barrier seal designed to create a solid surface on an open space. Classified as a D rank technique due to its simplicity, powerful shinobi are capable of creating powerful shields with this technique, and, due to that same simplicity, skilled practitioners are capable of projecting this seal from any point on their bodies, making it extremely difficult to successfully wound them.

D Rank: Sealing Art: Chakra Drain: A seal placed on the opponent which acts as an open window, releasing the opponents chakra into the air around them. Less effective on drained opponents, as well as those with lower chakra reserves. More effective when placed closer to the center of the body, or near one of the Eight Gates.

D Rank: Sealing Art: Razor Shower: A containment seal containing numerous shuriken, kunai and senbon. Useful when placed on a demon wind shuriken.

* * *

C Rank: These are more complicated, and can be somewhat difficult to learn. Short of the extremely gifted, most ninja capable of these techniques will be at least Chunin in rank. Similarly, it is mostly Chunin who will be granted access to these techniques. If you have made it this far, then you are skilled enough for me to advise this: you need to start making your own techniques. Examine the basic seal types, and modify them to suit your needs and desires.

* * *

C Rank: Sealing Art: Earth Style: Sinkhole: A powerful containment seal that absorbs large amounts of dirt and rock under a designated target to create a deep pit.

C Rank: Sealing Art: Fire Style: Hell Gate: Similar in concept to Razor Shower, but performed with large amounts of sealed fire.

C Rank: Sealing Art: Lightning Style: Heavens Wrath: A lightning style counterpoint to Fire Style: Hell Gate.

C Rank: Sealing Art: Bodily Containment Seal: A containment seal modified to work effectively on human skin. There are, of course, numerous applications to this, but I would warn against heavy modification without very careful testing. The changes made to the containment seal to allow this technique are both complex and somewhat rigid. Attempting to modify this seal without an advanced understanding of sealing juts can be extremely dangerous.

C Rank: Sealing Art: Attraction Seal: A seal which, when applied to a target, will cause a weapon marked with the second half of the formula to be drawn directly to it. Can be enhanced with elemental chakra. Multiple weapons can be attuned to a single mark by using the same target. In essence, if the target is seal A, and the offensive portion is seal B, then you can draw seal B any number of times, and attune them all to act as the second half of a single seal A. (credit Truly Human)

C Rank: Sealing Art: Lightning Style: Current: A seal placed on a thrown weapon containing large amounts of lightning chakra. The seal can be released in the air to surround the weapon with electricity, or on impact to direct it into the target.

C Rank: Sealing Art: Stitching: A medical seal which acts as a bandage or clamp to cover a wound or hold skin together. Can be turned into a B rank technique by modifying the seal to constantly release medical chakra into a wound. If the user of the technique lacks medical training, the seal must be pre-made with a medic present for this variation.

C Rank: Sealing Art: Graveyard Blade: A containment seal designed to spread along a surface at high speed and release numerous weapons along a wide area. As it is a storage seal, it must be pre-made and carried into battle with the user. (credit Beast Keeper 9)

C Rank: Sealing Art: Body Puppet: A seal placed upon the opponent to force their body to mimic the users movements, largely inspired by the Nara Clan's shadow possession. The placement of the seal decides the amount of control afforded to the user. Any limb with a seal is placed under the users influence, or the seal can be placed on the spinal column, preferably the back of the neck, for an increased area of effect. A seal placed on either the center of the body or the forehead will allow for direct connection to either the brain or the center of the chakra network, allowing full control. As a rule of thumb, to determine the limits of control, follow the chakra system and the nervous system outwards. I have theorized about a possible variation using the circulatory system, but deemed it superfluous for my own purposes.

* * *

B Rank: Jonin techniques. If you have made it this far, you are almost certainly a Jonin or Special Jonin by now. You should also have created at least one or two techniques of your own, and now the real work begins. If you intend to continue on this path, you can no longer be content with simply modifying the purposes of the basic seals. You will now need to start blending them, mixing the effects of one with another, and layering one seal over another. Like the techniques that follow, much study and effort will be required.

* * *

B Rank: Sealing Art: Wind Style: Storm-Riding Blade: A demon wind shuriken with wind seals layered in a precise pattern that allows for remote direction as well as enhancing the blade itself with wind chakra. Unfortunately, the complexity of the seals themselves, as well as the concentration required to control them, typically force the user of this technique to remain stationary for the duration. Please note that any ranged weapon can be used for this technique, and that I list the demon wind shuriken for example only, as it is my own personal preference.

B Rank: Sealing Art: Multi Sectioned Bodily Containment Seal: An enhanced Bodily Containment Seal designed with multiple "compartments" so as to be able to seal and unseal individual items separately, as well as using up less space. At this level, I doubt I have to warn you of the risks involved in reckless experimentation.

B Rank: Sealing Art: Reverse Force Seal: A particular type of training/combat seal which absorbs the effort exerted by the muscles, forcing greater effort for less benefit. This absorbed force is stored within the seal, and can be released in short bursts for increased strength and speed during combat. (credit Truly Human)

B Rank Supplementary Jutsu: Sealing Art: Dancing Blade: A technique designed to be used in conjunction with the Attraction Seal. Emits a medium range field of chakra from a thrown weapon. Any objection which blocks the weapons path to its target is automatically avoided once it enters the field. Be warned, close range defense is still possible, since the field is designed to retract once it approaches the other half of the array out of necessity. (credit Truly Human)

B Rank: Sealing Art: Scrambling: A technique loosely classified as a paralysis seal. The seal scrambles all nerve impulses past the point it was placed on. Managing to place this seal upon the back of the neck carries a high risk of death for the target.

B Rank: Sealing Art: Misdirection: A barrier type seal designed to redirect the momentum of any object. Can be overpowered and broken by powerful techniques.

B Rank: Sealing Art: Sensory Deprivation: A seal placed on the target that shuts off the senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. As with all seals which affect the nervous system, affecting any part of the body requires the seal to be placed between the target area and the brain. (partial credit Truly Human)

B Rank: Sealing Art: Water Style: Hidden Eddy Jutsu: A water style technique designed in honor of the Hidden Eddy Village. Similar in concept to Earth Style: Sinkhole, but with the containment seal drawn in a spiral pattern in order to create a powerful whirlpool.

B Rank: Sealing Art: Force Transferral Seal: A two-part seal that transfers force applied to one point to be applied two another. For example, if the receiver array is placed on the chest of one opponent, and the primary seal is placed on the palm of your hand, then catching a powerful blow would deal damage to the first opponent instead. This is a two-part seal, and not a double seal, which means that the technique is one-way. Best used as a defensive/counterattack technique, although there are many more complicated applications. (credit Truly Human)

* * *

A Rank: If you have made it this far, then you are fast approaching the point where there will be little left to learn from scrolls. Only the most gifted Jonin will be granted access to this part of the scroll, and there is truly only one more step for you to take. You must now abandon all preconceived notions and designs. You must move past the seals themselves, and begin to study their pieces, their components. It is this that will allow you to create the truly powerful seals, the complex and varied masterworks. In truth, the techniques to follow are only inspiration. The true master has no need to rely on mimicry.

* * *

A Rank: Sealing Art: Wind Style: Storm-Dancing Blade: Full mastery of Wind Style: Storm-Riding Blade will allow the user to move and fight while controlling the technique. Extreme training and focus is required to master this technique.

A Rank: Sealing Art: Reversal: An absorption seal which is preformed with both hands extended, touching at the wrist, and with the fingertips pointing straight up and straight down. Once an attack has been absorbed, the hands are flipped, and the attack is fired back at it's creator. Chakra draw depends on the size/power of the target attack. Skilled practitioners can perform this technique with a single hand, however, a proportionate amount of extra chakra is required to stabilize it.

A Rank Forbidden Jutsu: Sealing Art: Conversion Seal: A seal that converts energy to chakra. Classified as a forbidden jutsu due to the risk of damaging the users chakra network if too much energy is absorbed at once. (credit Truly Human)

A Rank: Sealing Art: Fire Style: Blazing Field: A fire style variant of the graveyard blade technique.

A Rank: Sealing Art: Lightning Style: Inverse Heaven: A lightning style variant of the graveyard blade technique.

A Rank: Sealing Art: Wind Style: Rising Hurricane Blades: A wind style variant of the graveyard blade technique.

A Rank Forbidden Jutsu: Sealing Art: Oblivion: A seal placed upon the forehead which completely wipes the mind of the victim, leaving them in a vegetative state. Classified as a Forbidden Jutsu on moral grounds.

A Rank: Sealing Art: Doorway: A seal designed to create a portal between two points in space. A set of seals is placed at point one, and a second set is placed at point two. Both sets of seals must have the same number of seals, and must be in the same shape. For this reason, the recommended number of seals to a set is three. Once the seals are activated, a portal between the two will open until the technique is deactivated or disrupted.

A Rank: Sealing Art: Hyper Activation Seal: A seal designed to be spread in a network over the body. The seal is designed to absorb any excess chakra and use it to expand the limits of the body, bulking the muscles a certain extent to increase speed and strength. The gain in mass is noticeable, but slight. If the seal is properly utilized, there should only be a minimal loss in flexibility. Designed as an aid to seal masters whose combat style focused on taijutsu, it has the added bonus of masking an individuals chakra signature, making it useful for stealth work as well. Despite this, prolonged use puts a heavy strain on the body. Using it while heavily injured should be avoided, if possible, and keeping it active at all times can have severe side effects.

* * *

As per the agreement made when these scrolls were sent out, if you are reading this, then you are the Kage of your village. These seals are my masterpieces, some of my best work. Attempting to learn them without proper instruction is not only dangerous, but foolhardy. If you have progressed this far, then you have little need of my jutsu to wield vast power by using seals. The techniques listed below are meant, not even as an inspiration, but as an example of what sealing jutsu can truly be.

* * *

S Rank: Sealing Art: Refraction: A large seal array crafted in front of the user which gathers and concentrates ambient light from the surrounding area, to be released in a focused and highly damaging forward blast. Variation possible. Further experimentation may require classification as a forbidden jutsu.

S Rank Forbidden Jutsu: Sealing Art: Destruction: A seal that destroys all matter within a set radius. Requires large amounts of chakra to perform. Any seal set to more than a few feet becomes extremely chakra intensive, to the point of exhausting Kage level shinobi. If you have been cleared to read this, then you should know this: I lied when describing the explosive seal. This specific seal works by making use of the phenomenon that I described previously. It absorbs all matter within a set distance, and expels it at great speed, only to reabsorb it and repeat the process. Each cycle increases in speed and diameter, until the technique reaches critical mass, and implodes. Classified as a Forbidden Jutsu due to it's potential for immense collateral damage.

* * *

Variable Rank Seals: The following seals are ranked differently depending on the situations in which they are used. Due to their unique nature, this section of the scroll will be shown to anyone who passes a case-by-case evaluation.

* * *

D-S Rank: Sealing Art: Remote Sealing Technique: A technique used to create a seal at a distance. The difficulty of this technique increases exponentially with the difficulty of the seal being created. Most A rank seals are considered impossible.

A-S Rank Forbidden Jutsu: Sealing Art: Chakra Siphon: A seal placed upon a body which constantly absorbs and stores a portion of the users chakra, to be released and used in times of great need. Classified as a Forbidden Jutsu due to the difficulty of properly controlling such massive amounts of chakra without self-harm.

* * *

To everyone who has favorited and followed me thus far: thank you. I apologize for the enormous wait between updates. The list itself took time to compile, and just when I was getting ready to post it, my family switched computers on me. Since I hadn't posted this to the doc manager, I didn't have access to it until recently. Thank you all for being so patient with me. Also, any C rank techniques and below are fair game, but I would like you to ask permission before using any B ranks or above in your own stories. This permission does not, of course, include techniques that I did not create myself.


End file.
